XMen: Cortex5
by ALICExRxH
Summary: After a tragic accident, a level 5 mutant, struggles for control over herself and her mind. Running for her life from Magneto and the British police force, can she find someone to trust in this new world. Pairing: CharlesXOC Set just after Xmen 1st class
1. Chapter 1

All characters, scenes and plots in this are the property of Marvel and its respective affiliates. Any original characters, scenes and plots are our own work and not taken from anyone else. If you wish to use one of our ideas please do so, just give us due credit.

This novel comes after X-Men: First Class but with one minor difference: Charles X is NOT in a wheelchair.

This story is written by me ALICExRxH and my good friend AlbinoPheonix

January 5th 1965 – 23:00 

The cold of the water alone nearly killed me instantly. That, of course, was the aim. I imagine to the casual observer my angst filled pose and subsequent dive looked elegant as I threw myself off the end of the peer into the choppy, hate filled sea below me. But I do not care. I am not some casual thrill seeker looking for a rush. I did this life threatening act for a simple reason; to end my life. It very nearly worked.

I am under no illusion that while my dive looked elegant, my following struggle did not. At war with myself; the urge to live fought against the pit of despair and fear that gnawed at my insides. I sobbed releasing a single pain filled wrench as I surfaced before the waves threw me under once again. Peace, all I wanted was peace. I thrashed and screamed, bubbles billowing in the almost pitch black water around me.

I was pulled deeper by the forceful current and stuck at the bottom, sharp rocks cutting into my back and wiry, chords of seaweed gripping to my fragile, bruising form. The last of the air left my lungs, floating away from me as I continued to scream and involuntarily the cold water did more than entered my mouth. It flooded into me. It filled my lungs and filled me with the burn of death, of the end. I was vaguely aware of movement but nothing until the stars filling my vision ended as I without meaning took a deep breath of freezing, salty air. My vision cleared for a split second. It was enough.

In that moment of clarity when I was still alive I realised three things. One I was no longer at the bottom. Two someone was shouting my name from the pier above me. And three, the steel hull of a boat was directly in front of my face. I lacked the time to even blink before I was smashed into and everything swirled inward, as my eyes narrowed to tunnels of vision. Then, blissfully, everything went black and I thought no more.

What got me here I hear you say? Well, my name is Rosa Olivia Halleway; I'm eighteen and a psychology student of Oxford. 5 days ago something terrible happened. Something that changed my world forever. Something that ended my life then and there.

I killed my mother, and paralyzed my father; now him and all of Britain is baying for my blood.

My name is Rosa Olivia Halleway and this is my story...

January 1st 1965 – 19:00 

Rosa hadn't been feeling well for around six months. Initially she'd felt weak, but this had quickly progressed to shaking. Then came the cramps and the migraines so horrific she practically overdosed on painkillers. She'd never noticed the occasional peculiar things, pencils rolling toward her when she went to pick them up. As was typical for her, she didn't tell anyone. Her family, fiercely Christian would force her to pray for several months to expel the sins hurting her soul. And her friends... well she didn't really have any. It wasn't that she was boring of freakish; she was just very mature for her age and quickly grew bored with such conversations as footballers and gossiping respectively of each gender.

On this day, the day, she stood gazing at herself in the mirror when it happened. She was tall, with a slender toned body but curved hips. Her hair was a very dark brown and she could have been model if not for that fact she had heterochromia iridum; meaning one of her eyes was a dark, deep blue and the other a pale, sea green. She was dressed normally in dark clothing, favouring trousers over skirts. She came from a good family. Her father a ground breaking brain surgeon and her mother on the local council. They lived in a large home just outside of Plymouth. And as she stood there looking at herself, something inside her snapped. She collapsed, moaning at the cramps. This was worse than ever before.

When the pain finally receded she lay gasping on the floor for a moment. She looked at her head, in line with her light wooden floor, in the full length mirror. Something was different. She was scared, scared of the pain and what was wrong with her. Gradually she looked around her room. Her bed, complete with its cream blankets was floating. The wardrobe against the far wall was also a foot in the air, pressing into the ceiling. The bedside table, the drawers, the cabinet, the desk, the chair, even the rug. Everything not tied down was floating a foot into the air, with no visible means of support.

She looked back at the mirror, a scream rising in her throat she choked off before it could start. It exploded. She watched in almost slow motion as cracks splintered outward from her eyes in a spiral. Less than a second later it collapsed. She watched as shards hit the floor and shattered into hundreds of thousands of tiny pieces. They flew toward her but slowed, revolving as they bobbed toward her. She flinched but they stopped a foot before her.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the high pitched scream nearly deafened Rosa as she rolled from her place on the floor. Her mother, a short woman with black curled hair flecked with spots of grey. Her piercing blue eyes were filled with shimmering tears of fear. Thundering booms filled the house as her father ran up the stairs shouting my mother's name.

"ISABELLA?" He cried "ISABELLA! What's wrong?" He reached my mother just as she backed outward into the hallway, leaning against the wall as if trying to shrink away from me. The scream was still pouring from her lungs. My father grabbed her in a hug, looking into my room. He wore a black suit, with a black haired comb over and circular glasses showing his green eyes. For a moment the only noise was my mother's sobs and wails as his toothbrush moustache quivered dangerously. An animalistic roar poured from his outraged mouth as he charged toward her.

"DAD! DAD! No! No! Don't! PLEASE!" She begged as he ran towards her and she scampered to her feet, hurriedly backing away. His fist backhanded her and she was down. Sobbing and wailing poured from her desperately as he fists pounded down once, twice, then three times. She was braced for the fourth blow, but it never came. She dared to glance through her cowering hands. His fist was there, an inch in front of her arm, quivering as it tried to push through some invisible barrier. Veins bulged in his forehead and his arm shook as he tried to force his way through.

Rosa was angry, how dare he? Her arm flew outward, intending to hit him. He was thrown backward with a sickening crack. But it had been directed at his chest. She watched with horror as he flew backward, his chest and spine bending backward at an impossible angle. The wave seemed to hit her mother as well and a second crack filled the air. Her neck, crooked at an unnatural angle, shook once and she fell to the ground, unmistakably dead.

Silence reigned. The furniture had been thrown around, paper and dust filling the room from chunks of missing wall and plaster. Her mother lay completely still. Her father lay quivering as if shocked.

Rosa never would be able to remember how long she knelt there. She did however remember what she did next. She leapt to her feet and pulled open the doors to the overturned wardrobe. In less than 5minutes she'd filled her travel bag with all her most useful clothes. She grabbed the money she had and left her room, it was the last time she ever set foot there. She charged down the stairs, stopping only to grab the emergency £200 from dad's study and pocket the jewellery her mother had been cleaning. One backpack full of food later and she left the house. A knife secure in her pocket.

January 4th 1965 – 9:00

She'd been on the boat for 61hours. From her home Rosa had run into the city. She'd reached the docks and overheard two men talking about the massive ship headed for the USA. Fighting a strange fatigue she'd boarded, hidden in a small cave made between three large metal containers used to store goods for transport.

The entire time had been spent by Rosa curled up under her trench coat sobbing and sleeping, occasionally eating. Now they'd finally arrived, sailing past the statue of liberty Rosa uncurled, stretched the cracks from her spine and crept to the edge. The moment they were docked Rosa broke cover, jumped the metre down to the wall and ran to the nearest building.

In the few seconds it took her to be down the alley between two old, one story factories covered in grime, she'd been soaked by the torrential downpour, so thick it was difficult even to see. Then she was in the small doorframe of one of the buildings back exits grabbing the various cardboard boxes from the alley and squishing them to make a seat, complete with backrest and pilling the rest on top of her.

For the first time she really thought about what she did. What had happened. As the cold from the rain seeped into her it seemed like her fear grew, until it was almost a corporeal paralysis within her. She'd killed them. Oh god! They, they were dead. A wail broke from her throat for a few seconds, swallowed by the rain as she held in the further cries and sobs shook her body. She lay there for hours, rocking with silent wails.

As fate sometimes seems to take a sadistic pleasure in doing; Rosa was hit when she was down. The wind, only lightly laced with rain now, pushed the newspaper rolling it down the alley until it nudged her foot. Inhaling deeply, sounding like a child after a tantrum even to herself, she picked it up and froze one again.

USA TODAY:

MASSIVE-MUTANT MAN HUNT UNDER WAY FOR VISCIOUS AND SADISTIC MUTANT KILLER!

A massive manhunt is sweeping the UK focused on the coastal southwest city of Plymouth in the search for the mutant Rosa Olivia Halleway. Rosa's father Hugo is helping in the manhunt to find and capture the rogue mutant who, in his words, 'killed the humanity from my beautiful god-given daughter'.

At around 7 o'clock on New Year's Day Rosa broke her cleverly constructed cover and viciously attacked her parents. Her mother was killed with a broken neck and her father, who is helping the search, has been paralyzed from the waist down. She is believed to be hiding in the moorland surrounding her local city and orders have been given to the army to use lethal force if at all necessary in order to bring this monster to justice.

Rosa curled up again. That was It then, she was being hunted. She was a monster, a mutant. Looking down the alley she could see the particularly rough sea and an old wooden pier leading out twenty metres into the sea. She decided then. She'd wait until nightfall and go to the pier. Then she'd escape the pain...


	2. Chapter 2

This was it, surely she was dead. Everything was black, and quiet. Very quiet. Rosa couldn't feel anything, she couldn't move, the blackness in front of her was still and dense. So dense Rosa felt like she couldn't breathe. But she was breathing, she could feel it. Steady, in, out, in, out. She could remember looking up, the boat, shouting, black. Nothing else.

There was a small whisper. Gone.

A slight murmur in the dark, but gone again.

Her name, it was definitely her name. There, again.

"Rosa." Louder, but soft. British.

Had they found her and taken her back to her father, was she in prison?

"Rosa." The voice was closer now, right in front of her. She tried to reach out, but nothing moved.

"Rosa."

Everything was suddenly becoming a lot noisier, the silence of before had gone and the black was now swirling into patches of white. Bright white, lights, above.

"Hello." The voice in front of her, was in fact above Rosa as the world came slowly back into focus. She was lying down, definitely. On a very uncomfortable platform, also a very cold platform.

"And she's definitely alive." The voice above her said smiling down at her. He was young, as his voice suggested, and definitely British. He has brown wavy hair which right now was flopped over his face as he smiled down kindly at her, his piercing blue eyes sparkling.

"I never doubted Professor, merely expressed my concern. She was hardly in a good state when you brought her in." Another voice, the other side of the room. Rosa groaned, her whole body felt exhausted and numb, her shoulders tingled unpleasantly as if there was a numbness creeping over her heart. She raised her head slightly off the platform, feeling the need to stand up. She tried to sit up only to be pushed back down again by the pain racing like needles between her shoulder blades.

"You probably don't want to try that again." The man above her said, smiling in amusement.

"Nope, at least not until I've given you this…" The second voice again, and as Rosa heard the heavy approaching footsteps she saw the owner as he entered her view. Rosa's eyes widened and she gripped the sides of the platform underneath her. He was tall, and broad…he was also blue, and furry, with a human like face, all the same blue.

Their eyes met, and as they did Rosa felt her body jolt forwards, she flinched expecting the pain from in between her shoulders and the inevitable smack as her body collided with his. But it didn't come, instead Rosa found herself suspended, images were flicking past her at such a speed that she could only register a few of them.

They were images of the blue man who had been stood above her, pictures so fast she couldn't see any other faces. As soon as she had arrived there Rosa was roughly pulled back out, as an invisible force wrapped around her waist and pulled her back sharply, to where she had been before. White room, blue man.

"Sorry, she's got no control, should have said. Type 5 telepath, and telekinetic it would seem, as well."

"He's blue." Rosa whispered.

"Clever one I see…"The blue man scowled down at her. "Anyway, as I said you'll be needing this." He took out a long needle and syringe and gently injected Rosa with a clear yellow liquid.

"Hank, she's in shock, she doesn't know what she is…"

"Confused." Rosa said simply.

"What?" The blue eyes looked down at her confused.

"Confused is what I is…am. I am also capable of listening to a conversation, so please stop talking like I'm not in the room." She sighed and the man above her smiled and stood up straight.

"She's fine." The blue man smirked.

"Where am I?" Rosa asked, she had so many questions that she wanted answering. Like who were these people? Why was she not dead? What was wrong with her shoulders? And what was wrong with her?

"You are at the Xavier School for gifted youngsters, I am Charles Xavier and this is Hank. You are not dead because I found you after that incident with the boat and brought you here where Hank fixed you up nicely. There is nothing wrong with your shoulders, there is however something wrong with your collarbone which was completely shatters on impact, Hank has removed the shattered pieces and replaced your collarbone with a metal bar. Your last question…there is nothing wrong with you Rosa, you are a mutant, like us. Just a very powerful one who doesn't have control." Charles Xavier smiled down at Rosa innocently.

"I only asked one question…" Rosa mumbled.

"Yes you did, but I heard five. I am like you, just a lot more practiced." Charles smirked.

"Like me?"

"Yes, I am a telepath as well. We can read peoples minds Rosa…you on the other hand are also a very out of control telekinetic."

"I can move things with my mind?" Rosa asked. Charles nodded, Rosa felt the numbness around her collarbone disappear, and she winced slightly as she finally sat up. Rosa paused before turning round to face Charles.

"Why am I only in my underwear?"

Charles coughed uncomfortably, and turned his head away from Rosa, scratching his neck nervously. "Umm, well you were drowning, your clothes were soaked." He tried to explain a little too fast.

"That and The Professor has a thing for Brunettes." Hank turned and smirked at Xavier, Rosa laughed at the slight blush which crept up The Professors neck.

"That'll be quite enough of that, thank you." He handed Rosa a white robe, "As flattering as you look in your underwear, I think everyone would benefit from you wearing this." He smirked and it was Rosa's turn to blushed but she took the robe, slipping it on and wrapping it around herself. Xavier signalled for Rosa to follow him through the large white doors which had slid open to reveal a blank white corridor. She followed him, he may have been a total stranger not 20 minutes ago but right now he seemed the only person with the answers, and possible protection.

They walked down another white corridor before stopping outside a silver lift, Charles lead Rosa into the lift next to him and pressed a button on the dial. The lift doors closed, and with a small jolt the lift began in ascent upwards.

The doors opened to reveal a whole different setting, the white walls had been replaced with rich wooden ones leading up to a high ceiling. Suits of armour lined the walls along with rich paintings. There were many doors leading off into other rooms, each now their own classroom since The Professor had opened the school not long ago. The corridor itself was quite busy with young people from ages 12 to about 19 wandering the corridors.

"My office is this way." Charles said, Rosa suddenly felt embarrassed and self conscious at the people watching her as they made their way along the corridor. A boy was staring at her with an odd expression on his face, his name was Toby, he used to go to an all boys school, but when one day he caused the trees in the playing field to attack another boy named Rory because Rory had stolen his girlfriend. That night Charles Xavier had appeared on his doorstep with an invitation into his school.

Rosa suddenly snapped back into reality, a look of alarm and confusion must have crossed her face because Charles was back at her side.

"You're fine, this lot, they think very loudly. I'm going to help you control your power, so that you can block the noise from your head, and can read peoples minds only when you want to." Rosa looked up at him and he smiled confidently, before opening the door to his office. It was large inside with the same wooden walls at the corridor, it was well furnished with a large wooden desk sat in the middle.

"Sit." He smiled again, and Rosa sat on the indicated chair, it was placed facing the desk and Charles sat at his chair on the other side.

"How old are you Rosa?" He said calmly.

"18" She answered back bluntly.

"Can I ask you another question…?" He asked, calmly still, staring straight at Rosa. She nodded.

"Why, yesterday did I find you drowning underneath a barrage ship?" The twinkle in Xavier's eye had gone out and he was staring at her with pure concern.

"I don't want to say…" Rosa shifted uncomfortably.

"Then will you let me see?" Charles asked. Rosa nodded again and she heard him move around the desk to kneel in front of her sitting form. He held out his two hands and gently pressed his fingers against her temples, Rosa closed her eyes and felt him enter her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

It was pitch black, but she could see. But then, Rosa thought wryly, clearly she wasn't seeing. She was thinking. The blackness was a mist, stretching as far as the eye could see which wasn't very far. A voice echoed from directly in front of her, Charles voice "Yes you're in your own mind. Now…" his voice drifted away as Rosa was pulled through the mist. The mist swirled in places, condensing into images and pictures. Snapshots of her life. Then came the main picture, that night. Her parents… the mist swirled angrily, responding to her distress. Patches of red floated as well, here and there.

She seemed to reach the bit of her mind that Charles was in, mist of a slightly different consistency. Still black, but foreign and strange. He was more… condensed.

"Rosa, you are not to blame for this." Charles music voice echoed through her head "It was self defense and an accident. I can see your parents would never have accepted you. You did what you had to survive, and you didn't even mean to. No one can blame you for that. I am going to try now to teach you to condense your mind somewhat. This will stop you from entering people minds without realizing. With practice you will be able to reach out to peoples mind without having to think of the mist or visualizing it at all. By condensing it your mind will return to your control and the power will be under your control. Then I will be able to teach you to reach out. Your telekinesis will work in a similar way, it is the red mist floating through your mind, and you direct that and will it to move what you wish."

He started showing her…thoughts. Rosa felt her mind stirring up as if from a wind, drawing inward and becoming less chaotic. The mist condensed to an almost solid form, compact. She felt the strange feeling that had been within her since that night, reduce. It was still there, but it was less chaotic and more controlled, refined.

She felt him withdrawing and slowly opened her eyes to find herself in his light filled office once again, feeling better than she had in days. Charles smiled at Rosa and stood. "Come on" he said in that musical voice of his "Let's go and get you into a room. Once you're settled in we'll arrange for you to go and pick up some clothing beyond the little you bought and get your timetable sorted."

Feeling like she might actually like it in this strange place Rosa jumped to her feet and they walked through the halls of the mansion. It was clear Charles was a very wealthy man as he walked through the halls with an ease one only ever truly finds in the home they grow up in. He looked perfectly at home passing the modern rooms with wooden and marble floors, large sweeping staircases and rich tapestries and paintings on the walls.

After passing rows of uniform oak doors Charles opened one, handing her the metal key with a chain to go around her neck.

Two large Victorian styled windows filled the entirety of the wall opposite the door. A double bed sat against the far left corner. The left wall contained a desk with brown leather chair, a dark stained oak wardrobe and matching set of drawers. Everything was quite neutral and white. The only color was the cream and browns of the bedspread, the brown of the lampshade and the chocolate brown curtains.

It was plain and simple but it represented a security she had honestly felt she would never find again. She'd felt her life was over, and now it seemed like it was just beginning. Not the same, but just as fulfilling. Charles seemed to know what she was thinking as he smiled brightly at her and said "your possessions have already been placed I believe. Now if you follow me I'll lead you to the dining hall.

After another whirling maze of corridors Charles navigated with ease she was sat at a table on her own eating lasagna. She heard whispering in the corner and looked. A group of four kids were leaning in whispering together furiously, occasionally glancing at her. They were reading what looked suspicious like the USA TODAY. One of the kids looked up and Rosa couldn't help the glare forming on her face. He froze, fear etched on his face. The others looked and quickly the four of them stood up, binned the paper and hurriedly ran from the room, deliberately trying to hide their faces.


	4. Chapter 4

January 20th 1965

Rosa had been studying at Xavier's school for Gifted youngsters for just over two weeks now, after the first day Rosa had still been feeling very uncomfortable with her knew home, she had found it hard to concentrate in lessons because all she could think about was her parents. Their faces as they had been thrown across the room by the shockwave which had been emitted by Rosa. The odd angle that her mothers neck had snapped to as the light died instantly in her eyes.

After Charles had viewed the events for himself he had assured Rosa that she wasn't in the wrong. But she still wasn't sure. She had killed one of her parents in cold blood, how could she not be in the wrong for that?

She was having daily lessons with the Professor to try and control her mind before she hurt herself but Rosa was more concerned with the prospect of hurting someone else, which seemed more probable. Today was Friday, last day of lessons before the weekend and after two weeks Rosa was beginning to feel more confident. She didn't hear peoples thoughts anymore as they passed down the corridor, she didn't accidentally jump into their minds every time she looked at someone, and Charles had even taught her how to block her mind from other telepaths like him.

But still the other students avoided her, they wouldn't talk to her unless they had to and no-one wanted to sit next to the girl who might accidentally see all of your dearest secrets. Rosa was an outcast, the extent of her power made the other children fear her, they couldn't trust her and the teachers were becoming increasingly alarmed at how fast Rosa's telekinetic power was developing. Just ten days after arriving some of the teachers had witnessed Charles take Rosa out onto the grounds and watched as he had asked her to lift the huge stone fountain which lay in one of the courtyards. It had taken about 15 minutes for the young girl to fully lift the fountain about 2 metres in the air, and she had walked back into the school as if nothing had happened.

Rosa stood in front of the mirror on her desk, her dark hair fell in loose curls around her face, she smiled and picked up her things and left the room. Rosa had 3 lessons today, French, Maths and Physics, after French she would go to the Professor's office for her lesson that day.

The French teacher was a small man, who had the ability to fluently speak every single language ever spoken on earth which in the modern world was probably quite a useful skill to have. Rosa was average at French, she hated all the different verb endings and the fact that you always had to give some sort of opinion, but apart from that it was her second favourite language. The first being Latin, which again Mr Lowry taught. The classroom was large and airy, huge windows lined one of the walls and through these windows Rosa could see an entire stretch of the grounds. People were working silently at the moment and Rosa found herself consciously slipping into peoples minds out of boredom, the boy Alex Summers, or Havok as the called him, by what Rosa could see he was having more than a bit of trouble with his worksheet. Rosa flicked through the images to see which question he was on. Question 3, "Marie est sportive et aime les animaux, qui les vacances suivants elle aurait aimé le plus?" "_Well it's blatantly option C isn't it_," Rosa whispered in Alex's ear, she retreated back into her own head and smirked as she saw Alex draw the unmistakeable shape of a "C" on his paper.

"_Very clever_." Xavier's voice startled Rosa and her books which had been placed carefully on the edge of her desk flew out to the side and over the floor, she frowned as she heard Charles's unmistakeable laughter bending down and picking up her fallen books.

"_That was so your fault_…" She hissed back feeling the link that he had built, sending her message back.

"_It would appear so_," Rosa may not have been able to see him but she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"_But perhaps it would be best if you concentrated on your own paper, instead of Mister Summers's_."

"_Perhaps, but before I go I'd like to show you another little trick_." Rosa smiled to herself as she felt the Professor's confusion, she concentrated for a mere second and had to stifle a giggle when she heard the satisfying crash from the office next door, as the plant and it's pot which until recently had stood on top of the Professors bookcase toppled over and smashed on the floor. Rosa smirked to herself and quickly closed the link between herself and Professor X, blocking her mind from any further communication at that moment.

The lesson ended and Rosa made her way cheerfully to Xavier's office, she went to knock on the door, but just as her hand was about to make contact the door swung open sharply revealing The Professor both eyebrows raised looking accusingly at Rosa. She entered the office and took her usual seat in front of Xavier's desk, out of the corner of her eye she spotted the broken plant pot still on the floor.

Charles walked over to his desk and perched on the edge facing Rosa his feet crossed over one another and his arms resting on the edge of the table aswell.

"Smooth Rosa, very smooth." He said smiling, "But best get to the matter at hand, I want to test your mental defences, we don't want you running around out there with your mind open for attack." Rosa nodded in understanding.

"The task is simple enough, I'm going to try my hardest to get into your mind, and you are going to make sure that I don't. Ok?" When Rosa nodded again Charles rose from his perch and rested himself on his knees in front of Rosa. He took his hands again and placed them either side of her head, Rosa closed her eyes and put up all of her mental barriers trying to completely block anyone from her head. She could feel his presence as he tapped on the edges of her barrier, it was like he was stood on the other side of a huge wall, Rosa could feel him there but wasn't going to let him pass. His presence was swelling, becoming like more of a pressure on the outside of her head, it got stronger and stronger and Rosa was pushing as hard as she could to keep the barrier from collapsing in on her. As the pressure grew still Rosa felt three or four of her barriers shatter and quickly strengthened her remaining few. She frowned as the presence disappeared slowly, until there was hardly a presence at all, so small Rosa could hardly feel him there. Rosa took the opportunity to put up her lost barriers and strengthened her closest one, so even if he managed to break through the others she could at least hold him off with one.

All of a sudden a huge, dense weight smashed into the side of her mind sending shockwaves through her head, Rosa was suddenly very disorientated and watched as her barriers smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces before her. Only two walls remained, Rosa tried to make them as thick as possible but the weight was still there violently pressing through. Outside her head Rosa unconsciously put her own hands to her temples covering the hands that were already there. She was pushing back as hard as she could as Charles continued his assault of her mind. Her head was starting to hurt and throb, the weight of Charles's force causing cracks to appear in the remaining force fields. Rosa felt Charles placed his forehead against hers and winced as he increased the pressure on her temples. The force was continuing to send large cracks through her barriers and one after the other they crumpled on top of Rosa. She paused as the force remained still, before condensing her own force and strength into a huge mass quite like the one Charles was using, and without warning blew it forwards with such speed that the two forces smacked head on into one another and exploded sending one large wave knocking Rosa back into the real world.

Her eyes flared open only to be met with two piercing blue eyes staring back at her, Rosa realised that her hands were still on top of Charles's and she quickly dropped her arms into her lap, still those eyes stared back intently. Before The Professor released Rosa's head from his tight grip and sat back on his knees, Rosa's breathing was heavy and she sighed.

"Can we please not do that again, for a while at least…"She smiled a little at him, and he smiled back.

"Yes, I wasn't expecting that…your right, that's quite enough. I think we'll both be going to sleep with headaches tonight." He added his blue eyes twinkling up at her. She laughed shortly and put her head in her hands massaging her temples lightly only slightly aware of Xavier watching her intently. She got out of the seat and went to leave the room, she opened the door but before she walked out she turned to him smiling.

"Oh and Professor." He got up and looked over to Rosa signalling for her to carry on.

"You might want to tidy that up." She said pointing over to the injured plant pot and plant, before smiling innocently and leaving the room, closing the door with a small noise.

Rosa's head was really starting to throb and with every movement it felt like something was exploding inside her mind, a body was suddenly knocked into the side of Rosa and her whole body jolted to the left sending waves of fresh pain through her skull.

"Watch it!" She yelled at the offending person, who turned round a look of anger on their face.

"What the Fuck is wrong with you!" The girl shouted.

"What's wrong with me? Have you seen yourself lately! Or is that whole "dress down Friday" theme catching." Rosa smirked at the disgusted look on the girls face in front of her.

"Shut up bitch, I can wear whatever the Fuck I want to, when I want to!" The girls unnecessary shouting was causing Rosa's headache to worsen dramatically.

"Look can you just be quiet for a minute, your voice feels like its driving nails into my head…" Rosa groaned, but the girl scoffed confidently.

"My voice, it was you who wanted to start a Fucking scene in the first place!" The girl carried on shouting but Rosa's concentration was elsewhere, it was only now that she had realised that basically everyone in the corridor had stopped to watch the commotion and Rosa felt her body begin to shake uncontrollably. The girl was advancing on her still screaming obscenities, Rosa felt two arms wrap around her upper body and she reached out to find the mind of Alex Summers the blonde boy from French.

Alex could feel the girl shaking in front of him, it was so violent and he couldn't help but worry, it was then that Alex realised that it wasn't the girl whom was shaking, instead it was the entire corridor. Suits of armour were violently swaying and crashing to the floor, the large mirror on the far wall dropped to the floor and smashed into thousands of tiny pieces, the girl beneath him had her eyes tightly shut and before she had a chance to stop herself a high pitched scream exploded from her mouth instantly shattering all the windows along the corridor and throwing the other girl back about 10 metres until the only sound in the corridor was the horrifying crack as the girl collided with the far wall.

Rosa saw the prone still body of the girl, and went deathly pale, blackness descended upon her as she began to hyperventilate, for a moment she was back in England, back in her room, with her parents, those lifeless eyes looking up at her. The entire corridor was stuck in a terrified silence and Alex had let go of Rosa's upper body to stare in shock at the damage this girl had caused.

Rosa stumbled back, trying to keep herself standing and managed to lean herself against the wall, breathing heavily to try and get the black memories out of her head she didn't notice everyone turn their heads to the figure standing about three metres to her right his eyes also wide at the damage to the corridor.

"Rosa, my office." Charles Xavier managed to say, not even looking at the girl leant up against the wall, so pale that he was sure she was going to pass out on the spot. Summers walked over to her and tried to lead her away from the gawping eyes of the other students, managing to get her into the Professors office and sit her down on the chair before she fainted. As soon as she was sat she put her head in her hands and began to cry uncontrollably, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Alex looked sympathetically down at the girl before leaving the room, passing a stony faced Professor as he did so moving out the way and allowing him through into his office.

Rosa had taken her head out of her hands and was instead staring straight her eyes glazed over with tears still streaking her face. Charles walked over to where she was sat and lifted her up out of the chair so that she was standing, she looked down at her feet scared that The Professor would be angry at her.

Instead he wrapped his arms around her and pulled Rosa into a gentle hug, she rested her head on his shoulder and stayed silent as more tears fell over her face.

"I'm sorry." He said, Rosa frowned in slightly confusion. "I pushed you too much, made your mind unstable, I should have checked. It was an accident waiting to happen." He pulled out of the hug slowly and looked her in the eyes.

"Is she ok?" Rosa muttered. Charles nodded, "She'll be fine, nothing Hank can't fix." He gave Rosa a small smile and walked round to sit at his desk.

"I trust you Rosa, and despite what just happened you are very good at what you can do, which is why I'm here to ask you for your help. Now you don't have to agree, but I would consider it a great help if you were able. I have been told, that tonight at around 7O'clock in the evening, a few of Erik's men are planning on breaking into a bank in a town not far from here. I want you to come with me to apprehend them." Charles finished smiling encouragingly at Rosa.

"Who's Erik?" She asked her voice still quiet and muffled after she had been crying.

"An old friend of mine, who turned against me and humanity. He's dangerous, you might know him as Magneto, and I wouldn't be asking you unless I thought you were ready because I think I might need you." He smiled again, "So are you up for it?"


	5. Chapter 5

335 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, US – Bank of America – 20th January 1965 – 19:00 

They were sat in the waiting area of the bank, which was open 24 hours a day. They were there and they were ready. Rosa sat pretending to read a newspaper, with Charles next to her checking his watch regularly and huffing, pretending his meeting had been delayed.

Rosa had been sat for twenty minutes now and had received a few funny looks from the staff, but no one said anything. A crack rang through the air and everyone looked around curiously. The central marble floor shook again as another thundering boom shook the hall. And again, in some bizarre fallacy of knocking. The floor had a United States eagle on it. A crack ran from the eagle's beak to talon. Then there was silence.

Everyone slowly walked forward, a hundred plus people gathering curiously at the edge of the main floor area. BOOM! The floor exploded. Rosa flinched back as the entire floor exploded upwards and toward them. Dust filled the room almost instantly and screams split the air from the lungs of various individuals. Many were cut or injured in a fairly minor way; but there was always some who died, lungs punctured with shards of marble, arteries cut or skulls collapsed. Rosa and Charles were unharmed but for a deep cut on Rosa's cheek that she ignored.

When the dust finally cleared a crater was revealed, leading down into a modelled tunnel. Inside the crater was... a massive version of the head of a drill? Well, it looked like thousands of bars of sharp metal stuck into a large sphere. It had tunnelled in. Even as she watched the metal appeared to melt and out of the tunnel came, not the henchman of Magneto her and Charles had been suspecting. Instead six people walked out of the shadow, all clothed in dark clothing. They looked, Rosa thought, evil.

Each of them wore black trousers and thick wollen black jumpers. Five of them had masks covering their entire head. The other had a strange metal helmet covering most of his head, and an aristocratic face showing determination. They all stepped onto some of the metal remenants, which flattened into disks on contact and floated upward as they rose majestically out of the whole.

The one with the helmet, clearly Magneto, waved his hand and caused the disks to come level with the edge of the whole. With a practised movment they stepped simultaneously onto the marble. "Charles" Magneto drawled "How nice to see you. Still trying to save the humans?" he sneered a the thought and made the word human sound like the most disgusting swear word imaginable. Then he saw Rosa for the first time, wearing her black trousers and loose fitting white canvas top covering her to mid arm level. "Oh" he said "And who is this? Tell me Charles, where are the rest of your pathetic group of blood traitors? Have they finally left you, seen the light?"

Charles appeared embarassed "Clearly we have underestimated how many would be arriving today Eric. But outnumbered doesn't mean underpowered."

Eric appeared to consider his words, the smirk never leaving his face, he appeared intirgued "This girl? Magneto my dear, wonderful to meet you. And you are?" he leered at her, looking somewhere that was most definately not her face...

"Not interested" She stated to him flatly. A look of amusment mixed with an undercurrent of anger flashed across his face and one of the other figures took a threatening step forward before he stopped them with a twitch of his hand.

"You say shes powerful Charles? How powerful?"

Charles was clearly getting annoyed, he seemed...agitated, "Leave her Eric. Leave here Eric. Just turn around, leave. Your better than this. We can live in peace!" He took that moment to attack. Charles's face molded to a smouldering look of intense concentration. The five others with Magneto feel to their knees in silence. They appeared to be struggling against an intense weight that forced them to their knees. Magneto spared them a glance before lazily lifting his arm and raising one of the disks of metal, which split into a hundred sharp pieces. Before he could throw them Rosa marshalled what mental power she had, as her telepathy was the more advanced of her two abilities, and attacked Magneto's mind.

It didn't work. Magneto seemed somehow aware of the attack though and looked at her in astonishment. A smile lit his face as he walked towards her and leered at her "Oh my dear. You are a surprise. Well,well,well. How, intriguing." Rosa glared hatefully at him and was preparing to use her telekenisis to hit him with something when he seemed to finish a deep line of thought.

Magneto turned and said to the others "Come" and stepped onto his disk. The others, in various different states crawled or rolled onto theirs and they glided swiftly back into the tunnel.

Charles sighed with relief and massaged his temples. Rosa turned to him, confused. "What? What happened? Why did he leave?" she asked surprised and confused at the sudden change.

Charles smiled and said "Eric would like you to believe he chose to avoid mutant bloodshed today. In actuality, he saw the shadow on the floor from my team landing on the roof. I expect they'll be arriving soon." And they did. The roof smashed and absailing, almost comically, into the room came six people. They were clothed in tight fitting black material that seemed both flexible and hard at the same time. On the front and back of their clothes was a silver X that made them look like spy's. Four of them were men, all fairly ordinary looking; no blue fur or anything. One of the women was also normal while the other appeared to have black lines like runes upon her face. They quickly scanned the room and seeing Charles calmly stood and walked over. They studiously ignored the fact Charles was stood particularly close to Rosa, and the fact they both looked like ghosts from the dust in their hair.

20th March 1965 – 7:00(am) – 5 miles north from Xavier's School for the Gifted

Rosa ran through the dense woodland at a sprint. In the two months since she's first met Magneto a lot had changed. She's been having longer lesson's with Charles and her powers had been progressing at an almost alarming rate. It became easier and easier everyday to perform acts that less than four months ago would have shocked and even appaled her. Charles had done this as they both agreed Magneto had taken rather to much of an interest in her.

She still didn't have many friends, but the others were no longer scared she was some sort of murderer waiting to kill them. The children from her first day had even apologised to her! She hadn't been on any more missions, Charles seemed very mothering and overprotective now there was the faintest of scar on her cheek and refused whenever she asked.

Unfortunately Magneto hadn't been dormant either. Three weeks ago Rosa had woken up to find the news channels buzzing about a classified mutant prison housing almost thirty of the worlds most dangerous mutants being completely destroyed. Rosa had watched interview after interview of the outraged locals saying they had no idea there was even a prison there, hiding innocently underground.

Rosa felt the blood pounding in her head and the burning in her lungs that she had come to love in the last few months. She was determined to get into the best position possible for when she inevitably crossed paths with that monster again. She'd make him pay for even daring to leer at her. At her! The nerve of it. Swallowing her anger she felt Rosa turned and headed back to the campus.

She just had time as she turned on the spot to see Mystique, the blue shape shifting woman who was always at Magneto's side, smirking at her before she span. Mystique's foot seemed to emurge from the blue blur and she stumbled back. Light's mixed together and the ground appeared to sway as pain exploded on the side of her face. That last thing she thought, before unconsciousness claimed her, wa that it was very rude of the leaf covered ground to rise up and hit her in the face like that. Then she realised she was lying down and everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Rosa stirred, her head felt heavy and numb and the side of her face where mystique had kicked ached badly, Rosa opened her eyes, she was sat, with her back up against a wall and her legs out in front of her. The room she was in was lit with long white bars suspended from the ceiling. The ceiling itself was shiny grey metal, as was the rest of the room. It was small about 3 metres either way, and Rosa found as she moved her arms from their resting place that she was chained to the wall. Rosa could see herself in the reflection on the opposite wall, a little distorted, but not enough to mistake the large metal helmet which had been placed on her head. Rosa couldn't contact anyone, she was alone, the helmet cut off her telepathic link to the rest of the world. Right now her powers were useless.

A large metal panel in the wall opposite Rosa shifted backwards and slid across to reveal a long silver corridor, down that corridor walked Erik Lehnsherr. He strode into the holding cell and with a wave of his hand the metal panel slid back into place, locking with a definite click.

"It's a real shame." He started his low slightly husky voice cutting the silence in the cell. "Having to cover up your pretty little face like that. But I suppose it is a necessary precaution, don't want you calling out for help now do we." He said with a smile, not really a smile, the two corners of his lips twitched up into a smirk. He swiftly move closer towards Rosa and knelt down beside her patronisingly before leaning in closer until Rosa could feel his warm breath on her neck.

"You and me, we're going to have a nice little chat, because you happen to be a very interesting young lady, and I want to know, why Charles is so interested in you." He whispered and brought his head back to look Rosa in the eyes. She kept her mouth closed and stared defiantly back at him.

"We could either do this the easy way, or the hard way…"He said signalling upwards with his hands. The chains around Rosa's wrists got tighter and detached themselves from the wall, before hauling Rosa up on her feet and forcing her arms out to the side and fastening them there. Two strips of metal then half detached themselves from the wall and wrapped themselves around Rosa's feet like manacles.

"So are you going to tell me?" Erik raised one of his eyebrows suggestively, when Rosa stayed silent again he sighed and walked closer closing the gap between them and moving to stand directly in front of her menacingly.

He slowly took one hand and gently brushed away the hair which was in front of her neck, tracing his finger along the line of the metal bone which had replaced her collarbone. Rosa's eyes widened as she felt the metal begin to slowly contract pulling all the bones in her upper body inwards so very very slowly. Rosa whimpered as a sharp unbearable pain erupted within her chest as she felt her bones collide with one another, she couldn't help it when she threw back her head and gave a strangled cry. She didn't want to show Erik how much it hurt, but it did, it hurt so badly Rosa felt like her insides were going to collapse in on her killing her instantly. Erik was smirking, his eyes taking in every detail of her pained face as she writhed in her restraints, Erik stopped his torment and held the metal where is was, each one of her bones was screaming in pain as they were all forced inwards.

"How about now?" He asked his smirk growing. Rosa could do nothing but whimper in agreement, and she relaxed slightly as she felt the metal bar grow back into the length it was meant to be and the whole of her upper body relax and return to normal. She stood there in silence for a few seconds catching her breath. Erik looked at her warningly and traced his finger lightly across her collarbone again raising his eyebrows. Rosa shook her head, pleading with her eyes.

Erik made a few tutting noises and wrapped his hand strongly around Rosa's neck, pushing himself closer to her, trying to make her give in. He squeezed gently until he could feel her pulse under her skin, a fleeting heartbeat told him that he was having the desired reaction from her, she was frightened of him and sooner or later she would break. He increased the pressure on her neck and pushed her further up the wall, her feet left and ground and Rosa began to gasp, struggling against Erik's hand.

"Please," It was the first time Rosa had spoken to him since he had entered the cell, finally he was getting somewhere.

"No." He hissed.

"What…" She gasped out, "What, do…you." She was struggling to get any air into her lungs at all anymore and her body was writhing underneath him, "Want, to…know?" She wheezed.

Erik smirked and lowered her to the ground, removing his hand from her neck. She gasped thankfully at the air now filling her lungs and the colour slowly returned to her cheeks.

"All I want to know, is why Charles Xavier is so interested in you." He stepped back slightly giving Rosa more space.

"Because…"Rosa tried to think, "Because I'm a telepath, like him, and he likes having someone similar around…" A sharp slap sounded throughout the cell and Rosa's head was jerked to the side as the back of Erik's hand made contact with her face. The manacles around the wrists tightened, cutting into her skin.

"Don't mess with me…"Erik warned his voice now full of venom. "Tell me, before I very slowly remove that strip of metal from your body!"

"I'm, I'm a class five mutant!" She shouted as Erik's hand made it's way slowly up towards the middle of her shoulders.

"Class five? Telepath?" He asked his voice losing it's venomous tone.

"Yes…" Rosa said, a little bit too fast it would seem because Erik raised his eyebrows dangerously.

"And, I'm also telekinetic." Rosa sighed and Erik smirked.

"Now I can see why Charles likes you. Pretty and powerful, now where-ever did he find you?" Erik said tracing the line of her jaw with his hand obviously awaiting an answer, Rosa hung her head.

"He found me down by the docks over three weeks ago, I was the one, I am the one, the girl…who killed her mother and fled to America…"Rosa said, she could feel the surprise radiating off Erik as he took a step back.

"That was you?" Rosa nodded in defeat. Erik's eyes narrowed and he seemed to be quickly calculating something behind his grey eyes.

The manacles around Rosa's wrists loosened and Rosa managed to free herself from the wall, standing up straight to face Erik, he looked up at her face again, bruises had already begun to form around her neck and in between her shoulders across the top of her chest. Erik reached forwards and slowly lifted the silver helmet from Rosa's head.

"Don't call for him…"Erik said and the warning in his voice was enough for Rosa to not even try.

"You're letting me go?" She asked unsurely.

"Yes, for now you are no use to me…but I have a feeling we might be meeting again." He smiled down at Rosa a glint in his eye. He lead her out of her cell and down the metal corridor, which was where Erik stopped her and faced her away from him. She stood confused for a second before feeling a soft fabric covering her eyes.

"Can't have you knowing where we are now…" She could hear the smirk in his voice as he placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forwards, Rosa entered the unknown and a breeze pushed past her ruffling her hair. She could feel Erik's eyes on her face and it was making her more and more uncomfortable. After about five minutes of a few stumbles and chuckles from Erik, Rosa could finally smell fresh air. The darkness was suddenly whipped from her eyes. She was back in the forest, where Mystique had attacked her in the first place. She turned round to Erik who was still stood staring.

"You look a mess." He stated, Rosa scoffed.

"And that'd be whose fault exactly?" She retorted. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face away from him.

"Run." He whispered. Rosa didn't even think about it before she began to run.

"Run!" Erik shouted at the top of his voice. And as he did Rosa called out to Charles as loud as her mind could.

"CHARLES! Help Me!" Rosa kept running as she felt Xavier's mind connect to hers his presence was full of concern.

"Just get me back to the school…" she sent, hoping that someone would find her soon. She had ran for about another 10 minutes before she ran into someone who held her in their arms tightly.

Rosa looked up and saw the familiar blue face of Hank she sighed with relief and obliged when Hank lifted her off her feet and starting his fast sprint back to the school. It took them around 5 minutes to get back and Hank gently placed Rosa back on her feet as they entered the school. The main entrance was filled with people trying to get a look in at Rosa, she had dark bruises settling on her neck and chest, her wrists where also bruised and slightly bleeding from where the manacles had cut into her skin, and she had another large black bruise on her face where mystique had kicked her, and another lighter one forming on the other cheek from where Erik had hit her.

"Rosa!" Charles's voice was unmistakable as he strode quickly from the back of the crowd to the front, guiding Rosa past the students and into his office away from all the commotion.

"What happened, why didn't you contact me earlier?" He asked quickly as soon as they both entered and Charles had shut the door.

"It was Magneto, Mystique fought me in the forest, and I blacked out, when I woke up and Erik was there, he wanted to know what I was, and then he let me go." She rushed out walking over and sitting herself down in the usual chair. Charles was frowning.

"You mean you told him?" His concerned voice couldn't mask the slight disappointment he held.

"Why didn't you call me!" He asked his piercing blue eyes showing only concern at that moment, walking round to behind his desk and leaning over acting like a scolding parent.

Rosa sighed and got up suddenly reaching over the desk and pressed her forehead against Charles's she sent him the images, from when she first saw Mystique, to Erik letting her go back in the same forest. She could feel Xavier's irritation at Erik grow as the images flashed by. She sped through the memories knowing that Charles could keep up.

"I couldn't call you…" She said finally, after Charles had seen everything, she pulled her head back away from his.

"But I did as soon as I could."

"You are hurt." Charles's voice seemed to have cracked up slightly and his blue eyes had become slightly bloodshot.

"Not really…I'm bruised, hardly hurt is it Charles?" She smiled up at him kindly and he smiled back.

"No…did he hurt you?" Charles asked, this time turning to face away from Rosa.

"Did it look like he hurt me?" Her soft voice rang out slightly tinted with anger.

"Yes."

"Well then…" She sighed, "I want to go to bed." Turning to leave the room Rosa smiled at Charles. And he smiled back kindly but there was no light in his eyes, Rosa started to imagine what it would be like to kiss him, those beautiful blue eyes gazing back in admiration, his soft lips against hers…Rosa turned back to exit the room but was cut off by Charles speaking again.

"Rosa…you think far too loudly." Her eyes widened as she processed what he was saying and a bright red blush crept quickly up over her face. She stammered embarrassed, and Xavier walked over to her slowly.

"Sorry, I…I," Rosa was cut off by Xavier's finger pressing itself to her lips, he smiled fondly at her and moved her out the way of the door so that he could close it again.

Once the door was closed Charles removed his finger and replaced it with his lips, just a soft touch of skin as he traced his lips around the edges of her mouth, Rosa's hands found his neck and she pulled him forward gently enjoying the feeling of having him closer, Charles moved his lips softly over Rosa's and he brought one of his hands up to slowly caress her cheek. He felt her slowly open up her mind to him and he did the same to her, completely joining their minds. She was smiling into his kiss as his hand found it's way into her hair and the other around her waist pulling her body close to his. After a while Charles broke off and smiled cheekily at Rosa.

"I believe you said something about wanting to go to bed." Charles whispered, Rosa smirked teasingly and grabbed hold of Charles's hand taking him out the door and leading him to her room.

March 21st 1965

Rosa stretched out her tired body as she lay in her bed, the muscles in her legs protested loudly as she tried to manoeuvre herself to face the sleeping form beside her. His dark hair fell over his peaceful face and Rosa smiled at him before turning away to sit on the edge of the bed.

She groaned as her muscles protested again as she stood up and made her way across the room, picking up a few garments of clothing along the way, she placed them down in a neat pile and reached for her robe which was hanging by a hook on her door.

"Nice view…" A quiet voice mumbled and Rosa chuckled lightly before slipping the robe over her body.

"I thought you were asleep," She whispered back, walking over and sitting herself back on the edge of the bed

Charles groaned and rolled over propping himself up by his elbow, "What time is it?" He asked.

"Umm," Rosa leant backwards to get a view of the clock face hanging on the wall, "Nearly 7o'clock,"

Charles sighed and flopped back down onto his back, his eyes still open, but now focused on the ceiling.

Rosa lifted her body off the bed and went to enter the bathroom, making a pained sound as she did,

"You ok?" Charles asked still not looking at her.

"Ache like a bitch…" She murmured back at him stretching out her back as she did. She heard Charles sit up in the bed and felt his gaze on her retreating form.

"So you should." He replied and Rosa didn't have to turn around to see the smirk on his face, but a smirk of her own formed when she heard the satisfying thud of a textbook make impact with the side of Charles's head.

"Rude…" He muttered amused.

Rosa walked through the bathroom over to the large square mirror which was placed above the sink, she looked into it, there was something not quite right, the bruises on her cheeks had turned a nasty purple colour and her neck an even worse sight was a collage of blues, blacks and purples. Rosa frowned, something was tittering on the edge of her mind, like it was trying to get it, Rosa sought through her head before coming to a large black door, which had certainly not been there before. Rosa reached out and turned the handle wandering what could be inside blackness hit Rosa's vision and she hit the floor.

Charles shot up when he heard the loud crash coming from the bathroom, he left the bed quickly and ran into the room, he quickly saw Rosa curled up in the corner by the sink. He kneeled beside her brushing the hair out of her face. She was shaking slightly and her eyes were tight shut the pupils moving frantically behind them. Her eyes shot open, and her face was alarmed until it relaxed noticing Charles hovering beside her.

"What happened?" He asked quietly, tilting her chin up slightly.

"Erik." She whispered and Charles felt his jaw tighten.

"He's broken into the Pentagon."


	7. Chapter 7

March 20th 1965 – 3:00am

The main entrance to the Pentagon came off the Jefferson highway and so it was seen as unusual that a convoy of eight Lorries were seen driving toward the turn off by the security on the front gate. When they turned off the security officers got ready to check there papers. But it still wasn't seen as unusual, trucks arrived at strange times all the time and the pentagon served over 24,000 employee's; supplies were always arriving. What they didn't see was sat in the passenger seat of the first truck was Magneto; and he was smiling.

1:00am

General Marsh had been working late again and was looking forward to his bed as he pulled his truck down the dirt lane to his family home, a large once farmhouse inherited from his parents. He was an old man, nearing retirement. He was one of the Presidents most trusted advisors.

He unlocked his door and slapped at his arm as a mosquito bit him. But it wasn't a mosquito, his arm hit something. Looking down he saw a syringe. He looked up in shock and just had time to see the grinning face of red skinned man before he passed out.

Azazel laughed to himself and in a burst of flame the two of them had disappeared, leaving nothing but the smallest puff of smoke.

1:30am

The Pentagon was a fortress, designed to be undefeatable and protect the nation's secrets. It had taken the mutant spider, who could stick to things, three hours to finish placing his remote detonated explosives on the fifteen sites that left the Pentagon, connecting it to the phone lines.

2:00am

The mobile was a fairly new device, and the mast by the pentagon was the only one for many miles. The charge had been set at the very top and the power inlet by the relatively young mutant called creeper, who could create jungle like vines out of his hands allowing him to climb practically anything.

2:30am

In theory, cutting the comm lines should take out the mains power to the building, but Magneto never took chances with things like this. The power station workers were all gone, working on Skelton staff. They had no way of knowing there were over twenty remote activated explosives scattered through the site by crystal that would explode with such force they would be pretty much vaporised in a rain of fire and death and pain. Only one of them would be left in large enough pieces to bury.

2:45am

Like all secure buildings the Pentagon had its own generators. Of course, the best security service the world had ever seen didn't extend to regularly scanning the generator room for high powered explosives. Explosives the mutant Ghost, who could become completely immaterial at will, had just planted.

2:50am

Not taking any chances Ghost had also stuck a charge under the security desk where the security camera's led to. She didn't like to think about how much mess it would make when that one blew up.

2:55am

It was shift change at 3am precisely. Shrinker had just spread yet more explosives through the entire armoury. In 5 minutes time all of the weapons would be in this room, ready to be destroyed. Shrinker, the shrinkable mutant who planted them, didn't even think about the entire two guard shifts that would die in the blast. Or those that would die as a result of not having a weapon. Then again, that was the point.

3:00am

Magneto smirked as he pushed the button. He heard the various explosions even from where he was. The big mast a mile to the west exploded in orange, molten metal instantly collapsing into a wreck. The lights in the guard house went out, conveniently providing darkness to highlight the explosion of the armoury down by the barracks. And the explosion of what must be the security room, exploding the entire exterior wall for a good ten metres.

Magneto could imagine the screams; picture the tears of the dying and their families. And, oh it was good. It was a drop in the ocean for what he was doing today though. A drop of blood in a veritable river of death. The pentagon had been completely cut off. By the time anyone realised anything was wrong it would be too late. Only room 1, where Azazel and the esteemed general were waiting for him, had power, owing to the fact it was the most important room here at the centre of the American power. It was the room from which, if one possessed the correct, knowledge, all of the Nuclear missiles could be launched. Yeah, that was probably important enough to warrant its own backup generator, the only one he hadn't destroyed conveniently enough. Still no one would be able to get through the door, and even if they did it's not like the telephone lines were open.

Oh yes, he'd planned this to the last second. Today was the day, you see, and that the world ended. Today was the day America went to war.

The Lorries smashed straight through the first barrier. The last one slowing down long enough to release three mutants from the back who would kill all the guards and stay in wait. The next gate didn't have guards but was designed to be un-open able unless you'd passed through the first security stop. It could only be opened from there. It was two solid sheets of steel; powerful enough to withstand the barrage of eight Lorries with few RPG's in besides. Unfortunately for whoever designed them, they hadn't factored in a mutant able to control metal ever attacking them. They gates buckled, shrieking as the bent inward on themselves, opening whether they wished to or not. Magneto threw them towards the two watchtowers where a few of the unarmed guards were trying to rally around and observe what was going on. The light flooding the car park and driveway went out as they massive hulks of metal obliterated the towers and killed several hundred innocent security guards. He laughed a cold laugh of pure pleasure. So many deaths, so much pain. Oh he'd make them all pay when he was done. They'd remember this for years, if any of them survived at all!

Two of the trucks at the back separated off, heading to secure the perimeter and stop anyone escaping. They were to kill on site, and a fearsome bunch of mutants they were, no one would survive.

All but the Lorry Erik was in peeled off at that point. They would go to the various barracks, or enter the building through different points. Everyone was to be killed, all equipment possible destroyed. Everything but the section of offices leading to room 1. That was reserved for him.

The only people in his truck were him and the mutant called popper who could for a few seconds disappear. He'd re-appear in the same place, but it was enough for what he had planned. Popper accelerated toward the building, cutting across military parade lawn at over a hundred miles an hour with a fearsome four tonne truck. Magneto's eyes glinted madly as he imagined the panicked faces of those looking through the window, their death speeding in flashed towards them illuminated only by the feint light of the moon. Popper reached out and grabbed Magneto's arm. A metre before they crashed into the concrete Magneto and Popper froze. They were sat in mid air, frozen in the position they had been in. They were invisible, immaterial. They were no longer in the truck. They couldn't be seen but were still there, fixed in place. They watched as the truck hit. Cracks spread over the wall as the back of the truck crumpled towards its front. The windows smashed, the bricks flew. Screams sent through the air. Dust exploded outward. The fuel exploded, igniting most of the exterior offices and causing all the windows not already exploded to do so.

They reappeared and dropped the metre to the ground. Magneto walked quickly forwards. He raised his hand and the truck, not yet settled completely into the wreckage began forcing its way forward. Ceilings gave way as he pushed the metal through he building. Floors almost poured inward to the ground, leaving a pile of rubble with a side order of dead office workers. Finally he punched through to the central courtyard and with a shove of his power launched it into the middle of the far side. Then he waited for the floors to finish collapsing and headed off over the rubble.

He started walking over the mound of rubble. It was a testament to the people who built this reinforced concrete building that it was still standing. Apart from where the truck had been forced through and the floors directly above, the building either side had survived remarkably well. Erik smirked at the almost comical way corridors opened onto open rubble and rooms above him where cut in half. One woman was even screaming, hanging precariously off the ledge. Even as he watched she fell from the 5th floor. There was a sickening snap that made his heart race with pleasure and madness glint in his eye. The look of pain on her now dead face did wonders for him. I was his revenge. His mothers revenge too... Revenge for all of his kind.

He let out a feral sounding laugh when he saw one man lying besides his desk. The half of his office remaining, which was on the ground floor and so led straight on to rubble now, was immaculate. He'd worked hard all his life to come and sit in this office in the dead of the morning. He'd kept it tidy and neat and hoped for a promotion. A simple life. A human life. His corpse lay on the plush blue carpet. A block of concrete had hit his head and he laid arms and legs crooked at almost stereotypical angels, his face a mask of pain and horror. The concrete block was big, and had removed the top of his skull. Blood and other fluids were already drying a large puddle on the carpet, and the brains that won him this office now poured out across its floor. Oh... so sweet. Such, power. It was a right. A god given right; to revenge. His will be done.

He continued walking; he was heading for the very last corridor before the courtyard. He savoured the screams coming from the entire building as the entire complex was ravaged by their power. He reached the corridor and for a moment left the carnage behind. No one was here; they'd all fled for the car park by now. He glided silently down the corridor, heading for the very last door. It was oak, a golden 1 inscribed on it. Erik knew he could blow this entire building up with a nuclear missile and this room would stay standing. It was made from a layer of plaster. But then there was a level of Kevlar material stuck on top of the re-enforced concrete. Underneath that was a layer of foot thick steel. It had its own electricity supply, and its own air and water supply. Many had wondered why room 1 on the 2nd floor or the basement started after it did on the ground level. It was because this room's wall was so thick and the room needed to be so big it took three floors. Erik prepared himself, this would take some effort. He exerted his will and, with immense concentration, felt the mass of metal and the metal in the concrete respond to him. The metal mesh in the concrete began bending and flexing. It weakened the concrete and cracks filled the air. He pulled and watched as the entire wall at the end of the corridor ripped forward, revealing concrete which continued to rip itself from the wall. Sweat beaded down his forehead as his arms shook with the effort of such weight. Finally the steel casing of the door and area was surrounded. He pulled, only on the door. It buckled, like a giant had knocked it. The hinges groaned and the deadbolt slowly retracted. Then, with a snap it finally fell to the ground.

Erik fell to his knees, breathing deeply from such effort. He stumbled to his feet and headed through the now door less hole. The unconscious general was laid across the heavy oak desk which sat in the middle of the room. A conference table of glass and steel was to the left of the room, which was half football field in size. The carpet was blue and the walls covered in white plaster and white wooden panelling in the middle, splitting it so it looked like a building in the Whitehouse. The red carpet was a deep blood red, apart from the paler dust filled carpet near the door. Obviously ripping away some of the wall had cracked the plaster and concrete on this half of the bunker as well.

The room had no windows, it hadn't ever been used. It was the office the president was to use only in event of nuclear war when he wasn't at the Whitehouse, which had a similar room. And on the far wall, behind the desk, sat the three machines he'd come for. They were covered in a whirl of buttons and gizmo's and screens, radars and sensors. From it one could launch America's nuclear missiles. He headed over and began setting it up, using a computer chip given to him by his contact. His order was simple, fire one nuke at every country, including the US. All spare were to be fired on the USSR. It was all ready to go. All it needed was the launch code. The code that only the president and the general had. The game was set, the trap sprung. The gameshow had started. It was the ending question. Now he just needed the contestant.

It was 7am.

Rosa's eyes snapped open "He's broken into the Pentagon!"


	8. Chapter 8

Rosa stood, her back up against the cold wall behind her, after Rosa had explained the vision quickly to Charles he had woken all the other X-men who right now, like Charles were changing into their suits. The room they were in was one of the many below the main building of the school, Xavier had collected his suit and taken them both into a side room for him to get changed.

"I was the one who saw the vision Charles…" Rosa protested.

"That doesn't mean that it's safe for you to come with us." Charles answered back calmly. Rosa banged her head against the wall behind her.

"And how do you know that I'll be any safer here? Without you or any of the other X-men to protect me?" Trying to persuade him for at least the fifth time already, since Charles had asked her to stay behind.

"You can protect yourself Rosa." He smiled knowingly.

"Exactly! Even more reason for me to come with you, I can stop him…I'm better than him!" Rosa pushed herself off the wall and walked over to Charles. Who straightened up, he had an amused expression on his face at the sight of Rosa's deep frown.

"It's not fair," Rosa whinged and Charles chuckled at her almost childlike expression.

"Sorry," He said back, lowering his voice, as he brought his hand up to gently cup the side of her cheek. "I just don't want you to get hurt…" He leant forward and placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"I already am hurt!" Her eyes snapped back up to look at him and she stared defiantly. "I want to go, you've got 45 other mutants going, old favours that you've managed to pull in…but what if that's not enough. You can't face him alone, not if he's got that helmet." She took his head in her hands and kissed him fiercely.

"I just…" She breathed out before their lips connected again, "Want," another kiss, "To help you." She felt Charles smirk against her lips and pulled back.

"You can help me…" Charles started and Rosa rolled her eyes and turned around facing away from him.

"By staying here, yes I know!" She said exasperated, walking away and sitting on the table which was in the middle of the small room.

"I'm ready Charles, and you know I am! My powers have never been this strong and I get more control with everyday…please let me come with you…" Xavier had made his way over to where she was sat and was stood in front of her, their legs slightly interlocking, his hands on her arms.

"Promise me you'll stay." He said his blue eyes looking deep into hers echoing the seriousness of his voice. Rosa sighed, "Promise me you'll come back." He nodded and leant in to press a lingering kiss on her lips.

"Then I'll stay." Charles smiled at Rosa in thanks and they both exited the side room and walked out into the corridor facing the other 45 X-men, many who were newly recruited. Charles addressed them professionally telling them the situation and what he wanted people to do and where to be. They listened to him intently respecting his authority. They turned and walked down the corridor where the jet was ready and waiting for passengers, Charles turned back to face Rosa and smiled confidently.

"If you don't stay here you are going to be in big trouble young lady." He said with a smirk kissing her quickly on the cheek and turning to board the jet.

"And if you don't come back at all you are going to be in even more trouble Professor." Charles chuckled at her use of his title and got into the jet their eyes meeting for a few seconds.

"Professor, as much as we know it pains you, could we please get this jet off the ground and on it's way…Magneto won't wait for you two." Hank grumbled and Charles laughed but none the less got the jet in flight heading straight for the Pentagon, Erik had taken the first move and it was now up to the X-men to make sure this battle was not lost.

Rosa sighed after having seen the jet take off and made her way back through the silver corridors and up the lift into the main building. The corridors were quiet, and it being the weekend most of the students were still asleep and having a lie in. She walked quietly through the corridors and came to a stop outside her bedroom door. She opened the door and gasped. She backed out of the room as Azazel the red teleporter stepped towards Rosa, she stepped back even further and the door snapped shut of what looked like it's own accord. But before Rosa could move another muscle however the red demon like man appeared in a wisp of black smoke in front of her, Rosa screamed as Azazel grabbed her arm roughly and in that same second they appeared inside a large room, the walls were plain and a huge hole hung in the far one. Rosa turned alarmed to be met with the face of Magneto this time he was wearing the helmet and he was stood by what looked like three control panels, the body of a man in uniform was lay on the desk.

"What is this?" Rosa asked anger seeping into her voice as she faced him.

"This, my dear, is the start of a war, between humans and us…and now I have you, so the war can finally begin." Erik smiled maliciously. "No doubt Charles is on his way, after he has sent his little friends off to fight my army…and then the fun can really start." He raised his eyebrows and led Rosa by the arm over to the control panel.

"This is where I need you…see the plan is simple. You are going to launch over 2000 nuclear missiles for me, the co-ordinates are set. And all you have to do, is type in the pass code." He smiled down at her, as if she was his friend.

"I don't know any pass code…"She hissed back at him, and he smirked.

"No you don't, but that man does…" She turned Rosa's shoulders until she was looking straight at the unconscious man lying on the desk. Her eyes widened at what Magneto was saying.

"You honestly think, that I'm just going to read that mans mind for you, and start world war three…just like that? Because I am not going to be your puppet!" She shouted banging her fists against his chest angrily.

Erik chuckled and caught both her hands in his, "Yes you are my dear, you just wait and see," With that he threw her back and Rosa steadied herself on the edge of the control panel. Two metal strips bent round and secured her hands enabling Rosa to move.

All that could be heard throughout the room was the loud noises coming from above, Charles had obviously arrived a while back and the X-men were fighting Magneto's followers. Rosa reached out her mind to find Charles but there was no need because at that moment a figure emerged through the dust and electric sparks which had been flying through the whole in the wall which Erik had obviously pushed through to get in. The figure emerged through the dust and took in the scene before him.

"I could have sworn I told you to stay behind…" He said seriously to Rosa. She narrowed her eyes.

"Is this really the time?" She hissed back, "I am not here by choice, does it look like I arrived here of my free will!" She said tugging on the two metal plates holding her to the control panel to emphasize what she was talking about.

"Erik, I want you to let her go." Charles finally turned his attention to the man stood next to Rosa, his arms crossed, leaning calmly on the desk.

"Can't do that I'm afraid, see she just happens to be a vital tool in my war against humanity…and so, old friend, are you." Erik retorted and Azazel span facing Charles, he disappeared for a split second before reappearing quickly directly behind Charles using his power to knock him over the head with his fist, Charles doubled over and as Azazel went for a second blow put his fingers to his temple. The red man stopped, and Rosa watched as Erik strode over, using Charles's current concentration to allow him to punch him fiercely in the stomach. Charles cried out and doubled over before receiving a second blow to his face.

Erik pushed him back up against another wall and two more metal strips secured themselves beside Charles's upper arms making him trapped. Erik left his side and walked back over to Rosa, Charles receiving another harsh blow in the stomach from Azazel.

"Now young lady, I suppose you better make quick work of finding that pass code, or lover boy over there might not be able to make it home for tea tonight." Erik smirked, "Domestics really do make me laugh," Erik's smirk grew into an unfriendly smile and he turned to Rosa. "Now what's the code," As he said as Azazel pulled out a black gun from his pocket and pointed it to Charles's temple. "Or are we going to have to revert back to the hard way." He said the glint in his eye telling Rosa that he wasn't going to give up on this.

"But he's your friend, you can't kill him." Rosa said her voice shaking as fear overtook.

"He was my friend, once, but then Charles chose to fight for the wrong side…and now he's in my way. So on the contrary, I definitely can kill him." Rosa's eyes looked past Erik to see Charles stood grimacing against his restraints, blood now streaking its way down his face. He caught Rosa's eye and shook his head.

"Don't," Rosa felt his voice inside her head, softly trying to calm her, "The world is more important than me…" His voice was still calm and there was a hint of command to it.

"He will kill you." Rosa answered back concentrating right now on him and no-one else around her.

"Many other lives will be saved…" Before Charles could finish another voice, a real voice rang out in the room.

"And as the conversation between the two telepaths unfolds, I become terribly impatient." He strode over to Azazel and took the gun off him, re-aiming at Charles once more.

"Get the code and launch the missiles." When Rosa made no gesture of obeying, Erik used the gun to smack Charles over the head leaving a deep gash in his forehead.

"Get these off then…" Rosa whispered flexing her hands, tears had started to fall lightly down her cheeks and Charles looked at her pleadingly.

"No." He begged before being smacked over the head once more.

Rosa felt the metal release her hands and she stepped slowly over to the unconscious general, placing her hands on his temples.

She entered his mind, and looked through the mist to his memories, she flashed through them as quickly as she could begging that she would find the right one quickly and then it appeared, a long number on a screen imprinted into Rosa's mind, she backed out of the mans mind and stood up straight.

"Have you got it?" Erik asked loudly.

"I said, Have you got it!" He shouted, Rosa winced before moving her tear stained face to look Erik in the eye. And in a quiet muffled voice barely heard above the noises from the upper levels she whispered.

"Yes."


	9. Chapter 9

With a triumphant grin Magneto quickly walked over and pulled from the folds of his clothing and strange sort of headband. It was metal and floated in a decidedly sinister way towards her.

Rosa stumbled backward saying "Yes! I said yes! What are you doing?"

Magneto smiled a cruel smile and said "It's one of my more ingenious creations. It taps into your power you see, and will upload the code straight from your brain, after all if you wanted to you'd simply have put in a wrong number and the machines would shut down! I'm not a fool dear. I'm afraid it might be somewhat...agonising. But then, nothing is without sacrifice." He said as he seemed to subconsciously touch something on his left forearm where, unbeknownst to her, he was tattooed with his concentration camp registration number.

The chains he had removed when she touched the general snapped back around her wrists, surprising her long enough for the headpiece to flick into place. As it hit she realised its back had small needles just a few millimetres that stabbed into her forehead with a fierce stinging sensation. She could feel the vibration and heat coming off the central box on the metal band as it turned on and started working. A small countdown began, appearing on both the headbands display and the monitors. It was already at 5%! Oh god!

He was doing it, really doing it. Magneto was trying to kill everyone. And it would be her fault. It didn't seem like just ten minutes ago she'd been safe at the academy, worrying over the man now slumped in his chains across the room, seemingly too dazed to be of any help to her at all. She couldn't do it; she couldn't let it be her that killed everyone. 10%. So she screamed. "YOU...YOU MOTHER FUCKING BASTARD! YOU'RE INSANE! BILLIONS WILL DIE! BASTARD! DIE!"

And she thrashed, she pulled and yanked so hard she heard the snap, crunch and wrench of her left forearm as she yanked against the cruel chains biting into her flesh like some grotesque fanged demon. Splinters of bone shot out of her arm and a small fountain of blood trickled from her arm. Magneto just smirked. The bastard smirked! Anger boiled in her veins like liquid mercury, burning through her body as she tried everything to get through the chains with the single aim of hitting, punching, kicking, scratching, biting and breaking every inch of the motherfucker she could reach. Her wrists were cut freely and deep slashed laced her wrists as she continued to struggle. Lights span dizzily before her as she screamed. 20%.

All thoughts of her powers had left her mind as she reverted to the one of the quintessential human emotions; anger. And a hell of a lot of it. She thought about her dad. He hated her now but she couldn't go from love to hate in just a few months. She carried the hope he might one day come to love her again as a small ember in her chest. Now it was to be extinguished. 30%. She thought of all the people around the world, people her mother had taught her to love and care for. About to die. She thought of all her school friends and their families, their friends, their mentors and teachers and all of their friends and family too. 40%. She for the first time realised the true nature of humanity, a web of connections that linked you, whether by one link or a hundred, to each and every person in this world. There was no humanity and mutants, just people. Everyone was someone, and everyone deserved that chance at life. 50%. She couldn't help but seize her fight as she'd lost too much blood. She thought, as she slumped in the chains, of those babies and newborns that had only just entered this world, probably even as she thought such a thought. They didn't deserve to die, not yet. Humanity was cruel. Nature was cruel. Life was a bitch. 60%

In the short time she's been different; she'd never been allowed to forget it. In a span of a couple of weeks she's gone from innocent eighteen year old with the world ahead of her to hunted mutant, hated by thousands. 70%. An experiment. An outcast. A freak. She was tired, tired of this life already. She wanted out, to slip into deaths sweet embrace as she had tried those months ago, back at the pier. 80%. Maybe this was why she was born.

She had to fight. Fight to prove those who judged her wrong. Fight to protect the ones like her and show them what could be achieved when necessary. Fight for all the innocents too young to even have taken a side yet; to give them a chance to make the right choice.90%. Fight... fight for Charles. Who needed her. Fight to protect him as he had protected her. She'd been living on borrowed time. It was time to go out. But if she was going, she damn sure make a fuss first. She'd go kicking and screaming and digging her nails into the ground.

This wasn't some random remnant of Christian sacrifice left over from her childhood. That time had given her morals, and she knew fighting was the right thing to do. But in the last few months Rosa had witnessed the worst of humanity. She had opened her eyes to the world and found it sadly lacking. She no longer believed in god. She truly believed she would fight. She truly believed she would die. She did not believe she would exist beyond that. But it would be worth it. 100%

The progress bar on the screen disappeared to be replaced by a new screen. Launch in: 30 seconds. All around the world two things happened simultaneously. At over 2000 locations across the globe America's nuclear missiles began preparing for launch. At the same time every naval, military, air force and official America area went to DEFCON1, meaning they were at war. Although no one was quite sure with who, or why.

29. Rosa looked at Charles with tear filled eyes, emotional pain far outstripping anything the injuries she had could ever do to her. Charles was finally coming around and looked up at her. They shared a moment, a perfect golden moment. The only light in the horizon of her life. And they knew. The words needn't be said; they both knew. Then it happened. Like it had all those months ago, something in Rosa snapped. But this wasn't like the first time, when she accessed her powers. This was the awakening of her powers, the opening of the floodgates, and the collapsing of the damn. Forget concentrating fog and sifting power. Forget learning control. Her power was hers; it attended to her and was directed by her. She didn't need to learn control. Why would she? She already knew everything she needed.

With a thought her chains were blown apart, thousands of shards flying but none hitting her or Charles. Several cut Magneto. Her eyes turned to Magneto who was looking at her, seemingly frozen in place as, like a tiger she pounced forward. Her hand and arm flicked at Azazel who was sent flying backward, pinned to the wall. Another glance and Charles's chains exploded as well, and he fell to his knees. Hey eyes locked with the red rimmed eyes of fire, of Azazel stuck to the wall. He was furiously trying to flame away but found himself unable to, a presence in his mind forbidding it. Her eyes locked with his and he knew he looked upon death.

Those eyes, one dark, deep blue and the other a light sea green, no longer looked human. They were cold and cruel, with wisdom and knowledge almost other worldly. There was no mercy in those eyes. Azazel found himself locked to them as the voice told him to flame, to where he already was. He did so and a scream rent the air as he burnt alive, stuck in a loop of disappearing and re-appearing. Even Magneto looked away at the horrific sight of a man charring to death, even if he was red. Charles was mid stand, the countdown was on 26. She turned to Magneto and felt emotion for the first time since she awoke. Anger. But that anger was enough to distract her long enough for the human to come through. Rosa was not dead, just adapting. Magneto flew back; smacking his head on the concrete wall and slumping ten feet to the ground where he collapsed in a heap of black fabric, unconscious before he hit the floor.

Rosa Olivia Halleway looked around, power flowing through her. Power none had ever controlled like her before. She looked, at this world that was her kingdom, and her its queen. And was satisfied.

With a mere thought she glided toward Charles, at his side in less than a second, as he stood in awe of her.

Charles stood, staring at her ethereal form. He was not a religious man, but felt today that he was before a goddess. Power crackled across her skin and an orange glow flared around her. Her hair seemed to fly back from a wind only she was affected by. Her eyes, blue and green, also seemed to flash orange and gold. She floated toward him smoother than any telekinetic had ever flown. Smoother than anyone had ever moved. For a moment he witnessed the terrible coldness in her eyes. Before it melted and he saw it for the defence it was. He saw now, compassion. Sadness. Regret. Her voice seemed different, musical. Like an orchestra. She almost sang "Hello Charles."

He, how could he not, smiled. His mouth almost tore it smiled so wide as he laughed, like a child at Christmas. But, there was something. Something important. Something they had to do. "The countdown!" he said, looking past her after an effort to break his eyes away from her floating form. 20. He looked back at her, finding her unconcerned and calmly watching him, a sad smile etched onto her face. She seemed, ageless. Old and young. Beautiful. "Rosa, we have to stop this!" he shouted. She smiled now, one of happiness.

Her voice was so beautiful "Yes we do. And I know how. Magneto told me. In his boasting. The band is connected to my power. No power, no signal, no code, no launch."

"Just take it off!" he almost screamed at her, already reaching up.

She stopped him, his hands freezing before her face. She wrapped her hands around his frozen ones, wringing them. She seemed to need the comfort, the physical re-assurance. "Unfortunately, it is attuned to my power now. Even if I removed it, it wouldn't stop. Your friend Magneto, so full of hatred caused by the cruelness of the world, is a genius. A monster, but also a genius. There is only one thing for it. It is something I'm afraid, I cannot do myself. My power will not let me."

Charles looked down as his thigh was nudged. He found, suspended in thin air, Azazel's pistol. Realisation dawned in his confused features "NO!" The countdown hit 15.

_Thirty minutes Previously_

_Charles had gone running straight into the wreckage of the building. But Azazel was not the only mutant to die that day. Hank led the group of nearly fifty, dressed in the clothing of the X-men, as they entered the compound. Some were sprinting impossibly quickly. Two were on motorbikes, Harley Davisson's. Others were on Quad bikes on the back of jeeps. They swept through the entrance like a tidal wave. The three mutants guarding the entrance were shot from a distance, dead before the fighting had even begun. That was when Charles left, off on his motorbike. _

_The attacking mutants seemed to sense them coming, they swept out of the various buildings, carnage and fire in their wake. They formed a rough line, ready and waiting for the interception. Bang. It began. _

_Fire burst forth in long lines of death. Lightning struck past. Wind roared. Rain poured. Lights flashed. Humans ran. Screams echoed. Guns fired. Muzzles flashed. Blood pored. Lives ended. Hank jumped form the back of his jeep, twisting to avoid the lightning bolt aimed at him, and fired three shots at his assailant. Two hit the right leg of his attacker, an ordinary looking man bar the glowing electric blue eyes glowing with power. The third hit him between the eyes, leaving a perfect, black hole in his head. He looked confused for a moment, before his eyes dimmed extinguishing to normal blue eyes and he fell forward; dead. _

_One X-man ducked a line of machine gun fire, rolled forward and leapt into the air. He flew thirty feet and fires a fireball towards a group of opponents. His fireball landed and three died instantly. Then the shotgun spray hit and blew his stomach away form his body, leaving a gaping hole as he sagged and fell out of the air limply. One woman walked calmly toward the enemy, shield raised. Her shield passed over the grenade seconds before it detonated. The inside of the shield exploded in fire and then outward as her power died. Only the X of her suit would be found. _

_Hank ripped the head of one mutant clean off as he grabbed him from behind after a whirl of weaving, ducking and diving. Delivering death to his enemies. The bullet hit him in the leg and he crumpled, hitting his head on the rocky ground and passing out._

_Mystique was at the centre of a small tornado of guns and bullets, like a storm of death running around the battlefield. Some of her co-evildoers had fled at such heavy casualties and they too were targeted. She ran, jumped, morphed, kicked, punched, fired, slashed and generally killed. Ten met their end at her weapons before she was forced to flee. _

_Of Magnetos initial fifty, thirteen survived to flee that day, none were un-injured. Seven were imprisoned and thirty were killed. Charles's fighters won the day, saved over a hundred human soldiers, but sixteen lost their lives for the cause of humanity. Sixteen people who spent their lives being discriminated against by humans gave their lives to save the lives of those same humans. A great many people who join causes for mutant rights over the following weeks. Their sacrifice would not be in vain. _

_And of course, there was one other casualty. The true cost of war had, today on the 20__th__ march 1965, been revealed. The end of the world. Or the deaths of forty seven mutant deaths and over three hundreds human casualties. Not a bad exchange one might argue. But not Charles Xavier; he'd never say today was a fair exchange because for him, the world did end. _

"NO!" Charles shouted. He wouldn't do it. Couldn't. No way. Not now, not ever. Absolutely positively not. Preposterous. Rubbish. There simply must be another way. They were talking world war three for god's sake. Charles knew how serious this was and he knew there must be another way. He could do that. He... he loved her. And yet, he'd already sub-consciously accepted the gun. Ten seconds.

Rosa looked at him wisely "Charles, I need you to do this for me. I... can't live with the knowledge of having done this. Please Charles. Free me. I need you to free me. Set me free."

He looked at her, distraught. This hurt, so much. Why was life so cruel? Why him? Why couldn't he die instead? He couldn't be alone. He couldn't stand that. "Rosa, please don't make me... Please!"

She looked at him and engulfed him in a hug, their eyes met and they blazed as their lips met in a fiery kiss. 5 seconds. They broke apart and for an eternity stared into each other's eyes. Charles whispered, almost not daring to breath "Rosa... I lo" 4 seconds.

She, staring deeply at him, an inch from her face, pressed her finger to his lips "Shhh, I know. Me too. Charles. Release me." 3 seconds.

Their lips met, in a final touch. 2 seconds.

BANG. Her lips jarred for a flash before her entire body, pressed so fiercely against his, relaxed. He stared at her as she fell, in slow motion arching gracefully away from him. The gun was pointing to where her heart had been. It had punctured it, and killed her almost instantly. She fell for an hour as he watched her. He saw the relief, the love and the regret in her eyes, her lovely eyes. She fell back and he saw her mouth the words he hadn't needed to say. 'I love you'. Then she hit the floor, and the blood could be seen spreading out, across her chest incredibly quickly.

The gun, which Charles now understood the reason for being black, span and made a single thump as it hit the floor. Charles didn't remember falling to his knees but he was, at her side clutching her hands. He felt like it was him who had been shot. Him who had died. That bullet must have pierced him or it couldn't possibly hurt so damn much. He was vaguely aware of looking at the screen through the torrent of tears as he looked at the screen and saw the words "Launch Code Lost. Launch aborted." And for the moment, everything was still. In a few minutes Hank, awake and already healing thanks to his abilities walked in. He looked at the scene. The unconscious magneto charred Azazel and the broken, bruised Rosa. Charles crouched over holding her hand weeping with more emotion than he'd ever seen the genial man show. Quietly he left and stood guard at the door, stopping all other entrants until the military arrived in force an hour later.

Two hours later. 

Charles stood on shaky legs, tears he was unable to quench still cascading down his cheeks. He had been taken to room2 to be met by the entire military advisory team and President Johnson himself. He'd told them everything. Not just today, but his life story. By the time he was done, he was angry. He remembered his parting line "Magneto is the first. But there will be a second. That corpse out there. That beautiful girl out there. When there comes a time for you to make the choice, to accept us or hate us you remember her. The mutant who gave her life for you, for everyone. The mutant who gave her life for YOUR CHILDREN, FAMILY AND COUNTRY. REMEMBER ROSA!"

He charged from the room, heading back to his beloved's side. Hank, acting as his bodyguard for the day, flashed the guard the pass Charles had accepted. 'Charles Xavier, Presidential Aid – Mutant Community Advisor'. Nothing had changed from the room but for a few small changes.

Magneto was gone; may he rot in prison Charles thought. Azazel was cordoned off with some yellow tape on cones. The monitors had been de-activated. And two men were at Rosa's side. The President had ordered her to be treated with utmost respect; all the victims of the hero side were to be. They would be remembered at a memorial here at the pentagon, given posthumous honours as war heroes. Rosa was to be taken to the school, and buried at the site Charles's family for generations had lain in, next to where he would one day lie. Not that he wasn't already dead, he thought wryly.

The men gently, carefully rolled Rosa onto the stretcher while Charles sobbed at hanks shoulder, feeling dead inside and yet still in agony. Then she was covered in a white sheet. Hank led the way. The two men with the stretcher hiding her dead, broken body followed. The white sheet hiding the gunshot and the shards of bone in her arm from view, but Charles new they were there. Charles came last. As they led the way out of the rubble, all of the X-Men, those who wished to speak to Charles and were waiting for him fell silent as he followed the stretcher. He was almost blind from tears. The jet had been landed on the lawn by someone, and the stretcher bearers carried her onto the plane and quickly re-emerged. Charles paused on the ramp up and turned.

"My friends, your help today means more than I can ever say. I was today appointed to advise the President on mutant issues. I will do everything in my power to help us all. Thank you. We did a great service today. I will contact you all soon. Thank you." Then he turned. To those watching, he disappeared into the shadow of the corridor, fading from view. Some realised, it was unlikely all of him would ever re-emerge. Part of Charles had died too tonight. They wept for their comrades. They wept for Charles Xavier, the man who fate made suffer. They wept for Rosa Olivia Halleway, the girl who saved the world.

**X- X-X-X**

_**For this project I, AlbinoPheonix, and my co-writer AlicexRxH have both contributed hugely to each chapter. However we both have taken the opportunity to write alternating. That is why we always update in two's. As this is my last large piece of writing in this work I have some things to say. First of all thank you to all reviews, viewers, followers, favouritee's – you've made our day each and every time we've read them. **_

_**Secondly, we are already discussing plans for a sequel that I'm sure will be out very, very soon.**_

_**Thirdly I'd like to thank AlicexRxH for working with me on this project, it's been a load of fun even if we finished it in less than five days and I'm already looking forward to the sequel. Without her none of my chapters would ever be in even a half publishable state, as even spell checker sometimes is unable to cope with the severity of my frequent mistakes.**_

_**Fourthly – thank you for reading, you're the reason we did it **_

– _**Many thanks, AlbinoPheonix**_


	10. Chapter 10

"Within the last two weeks the capacity of the school has reached 250 students, each one from a different background and different state. This school will continue to provide a secure learning space for these students where not only can they study their average subjects, but they can also learn to flourish within their own power…" Dr Spence spoke to the entire room as he addressed a few of the teachers of Xavier's School for the gifted, each one listened to his words with interest jotting down the occasional note.

Charles sat near the back tapping the end of his pen on the desk in front of him staring at it. His mind was elsewhere. As it almost always was, back in that room, with her. It was the only thing that Charles could do to stop himself breaking down. Just remembering the moments, in which she had been there. Instead of the present, in which she was not. He sat his mind reaching out, hoping for a whisper, I flicker of movement that could point him in the right direction, but he was lost. As was she.

The Doctor finished talking and people began to file out of the room, Charles followed them, breaking off from the small group to walk down the large oak corridor which held the main part of the school. Classes were currently being held and as Charles walked past all of the classrooms he could see them. The young adults sat at their desks, like any other school day. The teacher at the front of the class holding their attention long enough for them to actually learn something.

Charles carried on his walk past more rooms and more familiar faces, these people, the people who Charles lived to teach, but only after…

There it was, in the next classroom, that one empty seat. The class sizes had increased and yet still no-one dared sit in that seat. At that desk. Her desk.

Charles continued through until he reached the outside grounds, the sun, hidden behind the clouds broke through to paint the grass a lighter green, the clouds brightened and in the sky Charles could see patches of blue.

He walked, absentmindedly running his hand through his hair, his bright blue eyes brightened slightly and finally a small glitter of light fell back into place there, after all it had been so long, and his eyes had begun to fall into deep swirls of grey. It was near the fountain, and through the small patch of small tree's, where the light from the sun hit the ground after fighting its way through the sheet of green. That was where the white marble stone lay, scattered around it were a variety of different flowers, but in the middle was a single white rose, which Charles had placed earlier that day. Each rose withered after one day, so Charles made sure that a fresh one was placed every morning. The white marble gleamed under the rays of the sun and Charles softly ran his hand over the marked lettering.

"Here lies Rosa Olivia Halleway, the woman who never stopped fighting."

Charles let his legs give way and he sat slightly leaning on the marble stone. She would always be here, for him, even if it would be a while until he could be there for her again. No more tears could fall from his eyes, because all his tears had been shed for one lifetime. He vowed to himself as he sat there, that he would never let anyone replace her, it hadn't been long ago that they would banter and laugh, not imagining that her death would come so quickly. There was a space in his heart, where Rosa had been, where she still was. But that part of him didn't beat like the rest of his heart anymore, because that part was dead. That part had been her.

"Charles…" A quiet voice followed by a body emerged from the trees and Hank knelt down by the Professor.

"We need you," He said again quietly.

"Can't I stay…"Charles said, his usually strong voice was cracked and desperate.

"No, I'm sorry. We've just got news." Hank let his eyes drift to the marble grave and the fresh white rose placed carefully at the foot.

"Magneto, he escaped." Charles felt his face curl into a wince, but he couldn't think why he had done so. The undeniable feeling of hopelessness engulfed his mind, telling him that it had all been for nothing. But he shoved it back, he would carry on and keep fighting.

It's what Rosa would have wanted.

It's what Rosa had done.

Charles stood up and followed Hank walking away from the grave, but not her.

Never her,

Charles Xavier promised to himself, that he would never walk away from Rosa.

**x-x-x-x**

**So I would like to thank all the people who have read this story, and I'm actually quite surprised that it's finished. I loved writing it and correcting all my friends mistakes was obviously thrilling. Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad that so many people enjoyed this story.**

**It probably wasn't smart of me and my friend to decide to write this half-way through our exams but I blame that on him, But thank him at the same time, for writing cool fighting scenes and for actually forcing me to ( for once in my life) describe things as I wrote them :P**

**We are planning a sequel, which I want to start right now! But that will probably wait for another day, like tomorrow…so for now this is the last chapter of Cortex5, please leave a review. And goodbye…for a little while.**


	11. NOTE

Hey Hey! We're back!

That's right AlbinoPheonix and AlicexRxH are teamed up again to write the sequel to Cortex5.

Its first chapter is now up so head on over to AlicexRxH's profile and check out our sequel –

Thalamus6!

_Sincerely – AlbinoPheonix & AlicexRxH_


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